Endemic Species

ENDEMIC SPECIES signifies the distribution of a taxon or an animal. It can be classified by locality and by genetics. In terms of locality type endemics, it is further categorized as micro-endemics, quasi-endemics, and semi-endemic. Micro-endemic species are confined to a very small area and possess traits most vulnerable to habitat degradation. Quasi-endemics are species of animals that may disperse beyond the limits of their specific niche but do not scatter widely. Semi-endemic species is a group of animals that spend part of the year in a specific location. In terms of endemic species by genetics, it is categorized as paleo-endemic, schizo-endemic, patro-endemic, and apo-endemic. Other categories for endemicity include local endemics which are animals that confined to a very narrow range of habitat. Their vulnerability is due to their specialized niche requirements that limit their dispersal abilities. They are slow to recover when struck by catastrophes. When a population of a species is isolated in a defined area such as a specific limestone crevice bordered by unwanted vegetation, that species may evolve and mutate to adapt to the environment where they live and is known as pseudo-endemics. Neo-endemics are species that need a support system and live only in a confined area where they originated while paleo-endemics are animal species that in the past, have wider distributions but are now exist in small populations that has survived from an earlier period and have retained their primitive forms to the present time. The existence of endemic animals to the well-being of our natural heritage is very crucial. Hence, they need protection from several threats such as poaching, human activity, and introduction of invasive species.